December 11, 1972 was the last time astronauts were sent to the lunar surface. For the last 54 years, developments in space exploration have been painfully lackluster, but the launch of Artemis II shows promise for a brighter future.
Astronauts were once revered as national heroes, and the Apollo missions were viewed as symbols of pride not only in the United States but in humanity as a whole. Even with great advances in technology, it seems as though overall interest in space exploration has declined since those days.
There is no denying that the future of humanity is dependent on space travel. Popular media has portrayed humanity’s future as one in the stars, and these stories of interstellar travel have captivated audiences for years. While these are purely works of fiction, there is an inherent truth to the fact that Earth won’t sustain mankind forever. There are already over 8.5 billion people on Earth, and that number is only growing each day. Eventually, humanity is going to run out of resources to sustain itself. While an issue as apparent as this should realistically be a top priority, it has been seemingly sidelined as a “side project” for many.
Obviously, space exploration can hardly be considered the most pressing issue in the world today. However, it does raise the question of whether countries have had their priorities straight. Governments have been waging wars in what seems to be a conquest for power, and it seems as though more effort is being placed in cleaning up their own messes than on working toward the betterment of humanity. While these issues are ones that must be addressed, it is painfully clear that people need to start looking at the big picture.
The Artemis II was being used to test several factors of space travel, including deep space systems and the effects on the human body. This series of Artemis missions—which started with Artemis I in 2022 and is planned to end with Artemis V in 2028—are being carried out with the hopes of establishing a continuous human presence on the moon. While not exactly Star Trek level travel, the establishment of a lunar base serves as an important first step. These missions have the end goal of eventually leading to human arrival on Mars, which brings the promise of much greater advancements to come.
It is unlikely that space exploration will become the top priority of any major government any time soon, but it is promising to see such positive advancements being made towards a greater cause. This generation may not directly benefit from these missions, and it’s likely that many will continue to see the space program as a waste of tax-payer money, but these missions are ones that will ultimately prove to be critical for the future of humanity.
